Mikki Moore: Different Uniform, Same Game

This article can also be viewed at North Station Sports

Just a quick note. I was dozing off on the couch, (yes - it's Saturday night and I am home on the couch), when I heard Marv Albert, Reggie Miller and Mike Fratello calling a basketball game. Half in a daze, I thought maybe I was dreaming or had fallen asleep with NBATV on again.

When I came around from my Saturday evening slumber, I heard Marv say, "Moore fumbles the ball out of bounds." I jolted off the couch, attempting to see what the hell I was listening to on the tube. I had experienced Mikki Moore nightmares before in his playing days with Boston.  Had I woken up and it was already late October?

No. TNT was broadcasting a preseason game being played outdoors in what looked like a football stadium. It was actually a Tennis Garden in Palm Springs. It looked to be a damn good crowd that packed into this stadium to see Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns battle rookie point guard Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

Speaking of Curry, Marv told me (well not me directly) that Curry had four first-half turnovers. I noticed the young man does not use his left hand at all either. Granted, it's only preseason, but Del better get out the drills for his talented, young son or Curry is destined for a turnover riddled season.

I tuned in at the start of the third quarter and yes, I realized it was Mikki on the court when I saw his lanky frame jogging down court, dreads dangling in the air.

I got through about eight minutes of the third quarter when Phoenix led Golden State by three. Steve Nash kept cool control over the Phoenix offense in this sloppy mess of a game. Watching Nash really brought to the forefront what a positive impact a great floor general has on his team. It made me think of how fortunate we are to have Rajon Rondo running our show.

After soaking in the sights and sounds of the game, watching Nellie roaming the Warriors sidelines, hearing Fratello laying into Marv to lighten up the flat on court play and chuckling at Reggie's scrutiny of the teams laxidaisical style of ball in this exhibition match, I seemed to be getting a taste of satisfaction for my four months of NBA withdrawal.

In stepped Mikki Moore with three turnovers, two HARD bricks and, of course, a wreckless foul, and I woke up completely. It was just enough to make me realize that it was preseason and this wasn't a dream; Mikki Moore was really no longer a Celtic. Thank God!

Like a painful toothache, I had to continue to annoy myself, intently watching Mikki's impact-less play, scowling facial expressions and uncoordinated flopping that lacked any sort of fluidity, typically displayed in even the gangliest of NBA players. I started to think to myself, "I'm being too tough on Moore." Then I came to my senses and realized that he is no longer a Celtic and I am now allowed to say everything I thought but kept to myself during Danny Ainge's "experiment" last season.

I decided to now take it a little easier on Mikki and divert my attention to the replacement officials. Maddox, Mayberry and Nansel were filling in for the usual NBA officiating zebras, or in the case of the NBA, more like grey crayons impersonating NBA referees. I thought to myself, these guys are really not doing that bad of a job. They called a few more blocks in place of the regulars favorite, offensive foul call that is often overused in the NBA.

All in all, these replacement guys weren't so bad. Though this is preseason, the NBA players seemed to disagree with me, looking for any reason to complain and roll their eyes.

Wow! I just looked up at the scoreboard and the Warriors have taken the lead. Coincidentally, Phoenix lost the lead when Steve Nash went to the bench. Yep, the NBA point guard is so important.

Well, I really don't have to see the end of this game. The broadcast team is actually more entertaining than the play.

I'll close this basketball blabber blog with a few more observations...

I really only got two things out of this sloppy preseason game. They are:

It was good to say hello to Marv, Reggie, Mike and Cheryl as another season of NBA basketball on TNT crawls closer to beginning. It was even better to say good bye to the Mikki Moore Era in Boston.

Oh... one more thing, it's apparent with the use of words like "impact-less," "gangliest" and "basketball blabber blog," the "anything goes" style of play on court has rubbed off on me in this post. Hell, Golden State and Phoenix are making up the plays on the court, why can't I make up the words in this post, even if they don't make sense.

Good night.